There is not a more beautiful time of year to go to Stowe, Vermont than the Fall! Jamie & I went a few years ago and were a little early for the peak Fall foliage time (but it was still stunning). This year we timed it just right for the trees and the Fall leaves were like something out of a movie. As your trusty friends, we are here to bring you the ultimate 3 day guide to Stowe, Vermont. A little rain & clouds definitely did not put a damper on our trip as we ate and explored through Vermont.

Day 1 of your 3 day guide to Stowe, Vermont

• We flew into Boston because there are more flights & it is way more cost effective! Another great place to look into flying into is Hartford in Connecticut. Both airports are about 3.5 hrs from Stowe.
  • We were able to drive this GORGEOUS Lexus Ls. This specific Lexus had panoramic sunroofs, a huge LED display and heads up display in the windshield (which Jamie loved). The Interior was also a white and black leather & to die for. We both loved the heated seats that were automatically on when we started the car.

• Since we had to get up at 2:30 am to catch our flight, by the time we landed we were STARVED. Jamie searched “best bagels near me” and found Black Sheep Bagel. Little did we know- we were practically on Harvard’s campus. So we grabbed two of the best bagels we have ever had, grabbed some Harvard sweatshirts, and headed to Stowe.
  • Our Order from Black Sheep: bacon, egg, and fig & breakfast BLT + avocado

• Our first stop in Stowe was to the Cold Hollow Cider Mill
  • We got hard cider flights with popcorn and a pretzel roll to snack on! The line gets very long here, but is well worth the wait. The line was so long we were not able to get apple cider donuts! We did try them last time we were here and they are worth the wait!!

• We checked in to our hotel and got ready for dinner!
  • We stayed at Field Guide Lodge and could not recommend it enough! The location, the warm lodge vibes, and the rooms were immaculate. Would definitely stay here again and recommend to anyone going to Stowe!
  • The best part is we used my SIL Sarah to book our accommodations & she did everything and had it all ready for us. You can contact her here for your free quote for any of your vacationing needs!

• We got ready for dinner and walked the main strip of Stowe. Found a cute bookstore to explore & went to Cork for a bottle of wine!
• Dinner we went to The Whip Bar & Grill
  • This is our second time we went to dinner here and HIGHLY recommend it. We love the ceasar salad and the burger & fries.

• Bedtime was around 9pm because we were SPENT from the early wake up call and day of exploring

Make sure to check out this reel highlight of day 1.

Day 2 of your 3 day guide to Stowe, Vermont

• If you can tell the theme of this trip… it is good food (and a little rain). The Butlers Pantry is an iconic breakfast place in Stowe. It is right off the main strip & they do not take reservations. The restaurant opens at 8 am and we got there about 7:50am and the line was out the door! Both trips we ate here and both trips we ended up sitting at the bar (which we did not mind!) It is worth the wait and the earlier wake up call.
  • We split everything which is the best way to try all the foods. We tried the omelet with the maple sausage, biscuits and maple sausage gravy, and the french toast. Honestly everything we got and tried was so good. The pancakes also looked amazing.

• We wanted to go on a little “hike” while we were here. I will share our last hike and other hike ideas we found below. This trip we turned our hike into a walk on the Stowe recreation path. It is a 5.3 mile path that starts in downtown Stowe and ends at a covered bridge. We did not walk the entire path due to the rain and cold, but it looks like a great spot.
• To combat the rainy morning we went to a coffee shop near our hotel called Woodland coffee– had some yummy coffee. We sat and watched the rain while overlooking the beautiful fall foliage.
  • We both got the pumpkin chai & would order again.

• The biggest and most exciting event of the day was the Stowe gondola. Jamie was so excited because she saw so many reels and Tiktoks highlighting the ride up. I hear it gets really busy during this time of year so we did buy our tickets ahead of time (and recommend that). However, with the rain and cold weather we walked right on the gondola. The woman giving our tickets warned us of snow at the top and said verbatim “your shoes do not have enough tread and you will fall.” Jamie and I were thinking a light dusting of snow but boy were we surprised. It was a winter wonderland and honestly a once in a lifetime experience. Starting in the fall foliage and ending in snow was breathtaking.
  • HIGHLY recommend making a reservation at the restaurant at the top of the mountain- Cliff House
  • We once again split a caesar salad and the burger with fries they were both so yummy! Would highly recommend the burger!

• Our afternoon plan was to drive Smugglers Notch ( which we did not get to), but we did explore and find beautiful scenery and foliage throughout the city.
• Suprise surprise we went to get more coffee at Black Cap– which is such a popular location in Stowe. The line is long, but the coffee is so good- we both bought a bag to take home.
  • I got the iced almond joy & Jamie got a pumpkin London fog.

• One of my favorite things we did the entire trip is sit by the fire in our hotel and read our books. We had a glass of wine and enjoyed the time before dinner.
• We then went to dinner at The Bench, they definitely had a longer wait and were not accepting more walk-ins at 730 even though they closed at 9. We once again got a table at the bar and had the best dinner.
  • We split a pepperoni pizza with hot honey.. and oh my yum. We also shared blue cheese nachos and the s’mores and apple crumb cake desserts.

Make sure to check out this reel highlight of day 2.

Day 3 of your 3 day guide to Stowe, Vermont

• Breakfast was at the hotel. They had a very European vibe grab and go variety which was great for our morning.
• Our day started off with massages at the Spruce Peak Lodge. Honestly this place was stunning! Would consider staying here next time because it is gorgeous. This would be a great place to stay if you are going skiing as it is a Ski resort vibes with restaurants , stores, etc.
  • With your spa service you have access to the spa all day including steam room, sauna, and hot tub.

• After we enjoyed the spa for a few hourse, we stopped by Black Cap again for another coffee. They have a small limited menu, but we both got a panini for lunch to eat while we got ready for our next adventure.
  • Jamie got the Vermonter with apples and turkey & I got the Sophia Loren add turkey. They were so good, but you could definitely split!
• We changed clothes and drove to Woodstock, Vt. It is about an hour drive (and its beautiful) and is another cute town to explore! We walked the streets, took in the sights, and once again enjoyed the foliage. We walked and explored the bookstores and town and not even a little rain could bring us down.
  • The Woodstock Inn is here and we would both love to stay here one day!

• For dinner we had reservations at Sante. It was very crowded and they only took reservations so it is important to plan ahead.
  • The menu was all locally sourced ingredients. We decided to just order a few shareables because none of the mains really caught our eye. The shrimp was very spicy, but the tomato salad and butternut squash was so good!
• We drove back to Stowe and wanted to end the night with a pizza and our books by the fire. We went back to The Bench and ordered the Vermonter pizza to go & it may have been my favorite thing. We had apple cider margaritas while we waited for our food to be ready! Also they have a huge skillet cookie we got to go, because we needed some sweets in our life.
• Back to our hotel we went for the perfect ending to an amazing trip with pizza, a large cookie , and our kindles by the fire in the hotel lobby!

Make sure to check out this reel highlight of day 3.

Tips & Tricks for Stowe

• Plan ahead and make reservations! This is a very popular town (especially during peak leaf season) and lines and waits can be very long. It is easy to book online and saves you time in the long run!
• You can stay wherever you want. We stayed about a 3 min drive from town and it was amazing. However, the Spruce Peak Lodge is about a 15 min drive but it is nestled in the base of the mountains and it’s beautiful. We both didn’t think the drive would bother us at all. We have also stayed right on the main street of Stowe & that was amazing too.
• Embrace the slow pace. Walk around, explore the shops, go for a hike, or sit by the fire.
• We wish we drove to Woodstock, stayed the night there, and then headed to the airport the next morning! We had plenty of time in Stowe but felt like we drove back and forth a lot.
• If you are wanting to see the leaves go about the 2nd/3rd week in October. We went about 2 weeks earlier a few years ago & it was beautiful. This year however we were in PEAK season & pictures do not do it justice.

Additional Activities to do

• Ben & Jerry’s Factory
• Von Trapp Family Lodge (we did this 2 years ago!)
• Cabot Creamery
• Sugarbush Farms
• Hiking: Stowe Pinnacle, Bingham Falls, Moss Glen Falls, Mt.Mansfield via stowe pinnacle trail

Additional Restaurant Ideas

• Doc’s Pond
• Cork
• Idyltime Brewery
• Piecasso
• American Flatbread
• Edelweiss Deli
• Abracadabra Coffee
• Woodstock Scoops
• Red Barn (ice cream)

Thank you to Lexus for the beautiful car to drive on our trip! I hope this guide helped for your next trip to Vermont. If you want more ideas you can go here for a 2 day guide to Vermont.

XOXO,
Mary Margaret